• Live Hawk-Eye | Lunch | Scorecard• West Indies fought hard; Samuels unbeaten on 76*• Anderson and Bresnan finished with four each• No alarms as England win by nine wickets

England (428 and 111/1) have beaten West Indies (370 and 165) by nine wickets and go 2-0 up in the series with one to play

WRAP: Highly professional and impressive performance by England again, with almost every player doing his part. West Indies fought tooth and nail, and were in the match for long periods, but many will say it was the sad story of "one bad session". When they lost six for 61 on Sunday night, today was always likely to be a formality. As it happens, credit is due to Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels and company for taking this match into the evening session of day four. I personally think this result was on the cards from the first 20 overs of the Test, when the West Indies won the toss and then saw their frankly inadequate top order crumble. They did the same in the second innings too, so even though we should give respect to the visiting side for battling back pretty well, the fact remains that their top four scored 84 in two innings here, and 130 in two innings at Lord's. You ain't going to win many Tests from there, battling number eights or no.

Still, credit to England, who did pretty much everything right in this match. Tim Bresnan, the man whose selection was most questioned with Steve Finn waiting in the wings, took four wickets in each innings and contributed some useful runs. I personally would give him the MoM nod ahead of Straussy, but either way, it was a good team effort. The only player who has not enhanced his claims is Jonny Bairstow, who got a working over in his brief innings. Still, if it was easy, they wouldn't call it Test cricket.

England are in the luxurious position of being able to rest players should they wish, West Indies need to find some solidity in that top four if they are not going to go down 3-0. That match is at Edgbaston on June 7, we'll be here from 10.30am to bring you live coverage of that. Incidentally, the West Indians play Leicestershire in the meantime - who number Ronnie Sarwan in their ranks. Anyhow, thanks for following this one with us, on behalf of Jonathan Liew and myself, cheers for your emails and we'll see you soon.

OVER 30.4: ENG 111/1 (Cook 43* Trott 13*) Samuels has the unenviable task of bowling what will presumably be the last over... and indeed it is. Too leg-side to Trott, and he gets enough pad on it for the ball to beat Ramdin and run away for four leg byes. ENGLAND WIN BY NINE WICKETS

OVER 30: ENG 107/1 (Cook 43* Trott 13*) Cook clips Shillingford for a single through midwicket, and then Trott picks up three, also through the midwicket region and that brings the scores level.

OVER 29: ENG 103/1 (Cook 42* Trott 10*) A four in that over to Trott, nice shot through point off Samuels.

OVER 28: ENG 99/1 (Cook 42* Trott 6*) Erm some stuff happened in that over, but not a lot of stuff, and it's lost into the foaming deep of the internet forever I am afraid. Four singles.

Andrew Jenkinson: "England need to continue to build that winning mentality. Resting players usually can sometimes impact upon results, but with the strength our reserve bowlers we should still be able to take 20 wickets against the Windies. I'd give Finn and Onions a go at Edgbaston. Give them the feel for test match cricket again. Rest the players and still win."

OVER 27: ENG 95/1 (Cook 40* Trott 4*) England softly-softly as Cook takes a single, the only score from the over. I think they should have sent Swann in to smack it about for three overs. Local boy, bit of a laugh. If you want entertainment....

OVER 26: ENG 94/1 (Cook 39* Trott 4*) Good ball from Shillingford, he gets a ball to rag and bounce. Inside edge off Trott and just out of the reach of short leg. My internet is being a bit naughty so apolywogs if the updates are a little slower than normal.

OVER 25: ENG 93/1 (Cook 38* Trott 4*) Trott, as is his way, takes his time getting ready. Bit of panto from Samuels, who now keeps him waiting, rehearsing a couple of deliveries to mid on. Then Marlon serves up a juicy long hop that Trott panels away to the point boundary.

WICKET! Strauss c Bravo b Samuels 45 Mildly annoying for the England captain, he won't be there at the end. He's flipped a ball tamely to extra cover where Bravo takes a simple catch. Just a bump in the road really for Straussy. He used his feet, the ball popped a bit out of the footmarks and a simple catch. FOW 89/1

OVER 24: ENG 89/0 (Strauss 45* Cook 38*) Shillingford produces a fine delivery that bounces on Cook, beats him and flies away for four byes. Straussy now decides he might as well get on with it and slogs Shilly over cow for an ugly but effective four.

Barney Trench writes: "I think we should rotate the players in the next Test."

OVER 23: ENG 79/0 (Strauss 40* Cook 37*) Spin from both ends as Marlon Samuels bowls the second over after tea. Sorry to say, but he has actually outbowled Shillingford in this match. Cook dabs down to third man for a couple.

Joshua Judd writes from Dubai: "Well it's going to be 51 here apparently tomorrow God help us. Some fool has just turned the bar TV over to Thai boxing which resembles Eltham on a Friday night. Comedian's Eleven should include Bilko as an umpire. As long as you paid him, you'd never be out. Question: Does Bairstow stay or go?"

OVER 22: ENG 76/0 (Strauss 40* Cook 34*) Massive no ball from Shane Shillingford. That's pretty bad from a spinner. Single for Cook.

One more email, from the wise Adam Priestley, before I hand you over to Tyers:

Bresnan has just taken eight wickets and hit an unbeaten 39 in this Test. He still has not lost a Test match in his career. Finn is up and coming but why should someone who is playing well be dropped from the team just because someone has potential. Finn will get his chance and when he gets it he needs to take it.

So, to this so-called Comedy XI. Here's David Johnson:

I would be looking to include Tim Vine as my opening bowler. He is famous for a really quick delivery.

And Bryan Wilkes:

Norman Wisdom to bring the drinks out?

And Mara MacSeoinin:

I'd love to see Hattie Jacques umpiring: she'd put on her hen's-bottom-no-nonsense-Matron face if anyone were to argue with her... The Marx Brothers as sillies, naturally, and the Two Ronnies in at 1 and 2.

And Chris Pockney:

Thank goodness England have picked up the pace at last. The Comedy XI was starting to get more interesting than the cricket. Speaking of which, I'll nominate Eric Sykes for the other umpire. Watching him being baffled by DRS would be priceless. Put Spike Milligan in charge of the groundstaff - should make an interesting pitch to play on and yesterdays gardening episodes would have been much more fun.

Do any of you actually like cricket?

TEA: England 74/0 (34 more to win) Strauss 40* (65) Cook 33* (61)

OVER 21: ENG 74/0 Strauss 40* Cook 33* Cook and Strauss now shuffling across their stumps with regularity against Sammy. If you did ever get hit on the pads by Darren Sammy, I suppose you'd be able to review any out decision on the basis that even if the ball was going on to hit the stumps, there's no certainty it would knock the bails off. I wonder if Hawkeye takes that into account - the ball hitting the stumps, and the bails stubbornly refusing to budge. Anyway, five off the over and tea. England need 34 to win the Wisden Trophy, which consists of a huge yellow paperweight sat on a pedestal. A few of your emails, and then Alan Tyers will be in the chair to see this soap opera through to its grimly inevitable denouement.

OVER 20: ENG 69/0 Strauss 39* Cook 29* Maiden over from Shillingford. England need 39, and this will be the last over before tea. We're getting plenty of entries for the Comedy XI that Andrew Holgate started earlier today, so we'll run through a few of those at the tea break. Really selling this live blog to you, aren't I?

OVER 19: ENG 69/0 Strauss 39* Cook 29* It's so quiet around Trent Bridge now that you can hear individual voices in the crowd. I was there for the fourth day of a New Zealand Test match a few years ago. The match ended after about an hour, and there was this blank look on everyone's faces as they filed out afterwards, as if to wonder: "Well, what do we do for the next six hours?" Oh, Strauss edges Sammy between keeper and slip for four! He went for another late cut and Ramdin barely moved to his left. Both keeper and slip standing up to the stumps, by the way. Cook then turns the ball from outside off stump through mid-wicket for two. Both batsmen now manipulating the ball at will. Around the field, I mean, not turning it into stone or anything. If I hear one more story about how Sir Don Bradman could turn a cricket ball into a frog I swear I'm going to lose it.

OVER 18: ENG 62/0 Strauss 34* Cook 27* Oh, dear. Rampaul messes up a simple diving stop on the rope as Cook cuts and so two runs become four. Cook cuts again next ball, Rampaul fields on the rope, and predictably gets the loudest cheer of the day. But Shillingford then rags one past Strauss's outside edge! Decent bit of bowling, that. 46 to win.

OVER 17: ENG 56/0 Strauss 33* Cook 22* Another shriek of anguish from Sammy as Strauss late cuts through the gap for another three runs. Well, put another man in there, you tit! That's enough to bring up the fifty, England's fifty, and the 29th partnership of 50 or more between Cook and Strauss. Cook then glances very fine, and Sammy has his hands on his head again. That's four. Further to previous correspondence on the most successful Test pairings in history, here's a short table.

Partners

Runs

Average

Dravid/Tendulkar (Ind)

6920

50.51

Greenidge/Haynes (WI)

6482

47.31

Hayden/Langer (Aus)

6081

51.53

Jayawardene/Sangakkara (SL)

5444

57.91

Cook/Strauss (Eng)

5051*

41.44

Irani/Martin (Eng)

1

1.00

OVER 16: ENG 48/0 Strauss 30* Cook 17* Finally Shillingford does get a bowl, and Cook greets him with a sumptuous late cut for four. Only in situations like that do you realise how quickly Test spinners actually bowl. Barely a touch from Cook, and still it sped away to the rope. A bye as Cook misses a sweep and the ball cannons of Ramdin's pads. He's not had the greatest game with the gloves, Ramdin, and that's even taking into account the mysterious Trent Bridge eco-system.

OVER 15: ENG 42/0 Strauss 29* Cook 13* Cook cuts Sammy through backward point, and that's a superb piece of sliding fielding on the boundary from sub fielder Assad Fudadin. I'm not sure who he's on for, but there are few voices in the Caribbean urging him and Narsingh Deonarine to be given a go in the third Test. Cook gets two runs, and then Andrew Strauss shuffles all the way across his stumps, narrowly avoids getting rapped on the pads, and manages to get an inside edge down to backward square leg for two runs. Shouldn't have been two, really, but Shillingford was fairly sluggish off the mark. 66 to win.

Geoffrey Lippitt returns from the Irreverent Road End on the subject of a comedy cricket team:

I would recommend Tony Hancock as an umpire, with that face no-one would argue. And certainly John Cleese as a bowler, his run-up would be of interest.

OVER 14: ENG 37/0 Strauss 27* Cook 10* Two more from Samuels's over. It's at times like this that you pine for Marcus Trescothick. He would have made passata out of a target like this. Trent Bridge 2005 notwithstanding, of course. For that we needed Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard and about three new pairs of pants.

OVER 13: ENG 35/0 Strauss 26* Cook 9* Sammy tries to clean Strauss up with a very well-placed yorker aimed squarely at Strauss's timbers, but at that sort of pace Strauss almost had time to uproot the stumps and plant them three feet to the right. Two more singles from the over, and England chip the target down to another 73. We're going to see a bit of spin, but in a quiet rebuke to Shane Shilingford, it's going to be Marlon Samuels (test average 69).

OVER 12: ENG 33/0 Strauss 25* Cook 8* Cook almost runs himself out! Pushes straight into the covers and sets off for a run, and if Powell had hit the stumps Cook was well short of his ground. Rampaul does at least have two slips in - oh, the vaulting ambition of the West Indian fast bowler - but Strauss still tries to open the face, and gets four more through gully.

OVER 11: ENG 28/0 Strauss 21* Cook 7* A game. Guess how many slips Darren Sammy has, running in to bowl against England needing 10 wickets to win the Test match. Go on, have a guess. Cook taps the ball into the off side and takes a single, and then Strauss waits to play the ball until the very last moment and then late cuts it straight to first slip. Except there isn't one. That's your answer. No slips for Darren Sammy. It's like the closing stages of a Natwest Trophy game in about 1982. Strauss gets four for his delicate dab.

OVER 10: ENG 23/0 Strauss 17* Cook 6* A bit of undue circumspection out there, if you ask me. From both sides. The cover sweeper on the off-side seems to indicate that the limit of the West Indies's ambitions is simply to take this game into a final session. Both Cook and Strauss, meanwhile, are playing as if the target is 308, not 108. Cook plays and misses uncertainly outside the off stump, but there are three from the over. I make that 85 to win, and now the final indication that the West Indies have given this game up - it's going to be Darren 'Declaration Bowling' Sammy.

OVER 9: ENG 20/0 Strauss 16* Cook 4* Cook rides the bounce - another short delivery from Roach - and drops it into the off-side with soft hands for a single. Now, just being mischievous here, but how long before Alastair Cook becomes the next member of the England team 'fighting for his place'? He hasn't scored a Test century since the 294 against India last summer. Obviously somebody has to be fighting for his place, right? Else we'd have nothing to write about. At the moment it's probably Bairstow. Then Bell. But Cook's probably next in line.

OVER 8: ENG 19/0 Strauss 16* Cook 3* Mmm, that's a very nice cover drive from Strauss. It's going to get cut off on the rope by Barath, so it'll only be two runs, but it's another demonstration of Strauss's sparkling touch at the moment. At the end of the over the England physio, Mark Young, comes on to take a look at Strauss's hand. Is it an injury or just a change of gloves? Not sure.

OVER 7: ENG 17/0 Strauss 14* Cook 3* Roach drops it short, and Strauss pulls - not a full-blooded pull, more of a short-armed swat - and he gets a single for it through square leg. Short again from Roach, and Cook fends it off a trifle uncertainly to where a leg gully would have been but wasn't. Another single for that, and then a very quick single into the off-side. Chanderpaul has a shy at the stumps, and that could quite conceivably have been five. Roach puts the stop in, but there didn't seem to be anyone backing up behind him. I have a friend who maintains that backing-up is the most essential skill in cricket. "Look at the great teams - West Indies in the 1980s, Australia in the 1990s, Surrey in the 2000s. They were all excellent at backing-up. The team that backs up the best generally wins." Which is a matter for some debate. Not a lot, certainly, but some.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Jason Gillespie - Warney has left everyone in no doubt what he thinks of former Aussie coach John Buchanan on Sky. &lt;a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=entitledtohisopinion" target="_blank"&gt;#entitledtohisopinion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 6: ENG 14/0 Strauss 12* Cook 2* Afternoon, afternoon, afternoon. This could well be over in a hurry. Roach is steaming in, though, gamely ignoring the shouts of 'NO BALL!' that are greeting him from the crowd every time he plants his front foot. Speaking of plants, David Gower is talking about his gardener. I'd be lying if I said I knew why, but it's certainly surreal: "If you want your gardener to plant a tree, or a tulip, then he's got to stand on somebody else's land to do it..." Rampaul flings ball after ball outside Cook's off-stump, Cook tries to slash at several of them, and connects with very little. A maiden.

OVER 5: ENG 14/0 (Strauss 12* Cook 2*) Strauss tries to pull, makes a bit of a mess of it and is hit on the pad. Lucky for him, that is given as runs. Four through slip, and that means Strauss and Cook have now scored 5,002 runs as a Test partnership. It's taken them 124 innings, and they are the fifth most succesful pair in history. Sachin and Rahul, needless to say, are top. Strauss celebrates this little matey milestone with two more pulls in the over, one of them off his nose. Both also go for four; and England are starting to move. Also on the move is my man Jonathan Liew, who will be into the big chair at the end of this Roach over. I'll be back after tea (if needed). Cheers.

OVER 4: ENG 2/0 (Strauss 0* Cook 2*) England are on their way! Huzzah! Cook, having swung and missed earlier in the over, gets hold of a ball down to the cover boundary for two runs.106 needed.

OVER 3: ENG 0/0 (Strauss 0* Cook 0*) Good wheels from Kemar Roach. Strauss beaten on the inside edge. That's three maidens in a row. Shane Warne is bagging John Buchanan. "The only sensible thing that he ever said was that if you get three maidens in a row, there's an 85% chance of a wicket." Well, leaving that aside, England cannot get too becalmed here. At Abu Dhabi, you may recall, England set off in pursuit of 145, Strauss and Cook got completely becalmed, and they ended up getting rolled for 72.

OVER 2: ENG 0/0 (Strauss 0* Cook 0*) Poor Ravi Rampaul. Botham and Lloyd are saying Ravi Rampaul reminds them of Ian Austin. Shame. Ravi might have put on a pound or two but he's not quite of Bully Austin heft just yet. I am being unfair. Austin was a good bowler, and by all accounts is a very good man. Works for a brewery now, apparently. There's probably worse jobs for an ex-cricketer, huh? Ravian Rampaul delivers a useful maiden to Cook; one ball shapes back in and hits pads via inside edge.

OVER 1: ENG 0/0 (Strauss 0* Cook 0*) Woah that was QUICK from Kemar Roach. That really flew through. Speed gun says 86mph; I dunno about that. Ramdin had to leap. He's got a gully, a sort of deep backward gully and a square cover. Plenty of men in Strauss's PET AREA. Good start from Roach to Strauss, no problems with no balls, nothing to hit. Maiden.

INNINGS BREAKRight then. Time for a quick change of shirt and a swig of a performance sports drink, and the players are ready. West Indies need to go all-out attack here and see if they can set the nerves jangling. Here are Strauss and Cook; Kemar Roach has the ball in his hand.

Matt Cheetham: "Lee Evans in the middle order. Not only a energetic runner between the wickets but would scamper after everything in the field from cover or mid on. Given his perspiration need to make sure he is not designated ball polisher though."

Peter Rowntree writes: "Couple more suggestions for Andy's Comedy XI while we wait for England to bat. Must have 'Supersonic' (Little) as a fast bowler, and what about Tommy Cooper for wicketkeeper as long as we accept he will say 'Jus' like that' instead of 'Howzat' - might be able to do the odd interesting trick to remove the bails."

OVER 60.1: WI 165 (Samuels 76*) Mighty Marlon Samuels is left high and dry on 76*, having played another fine knock. Good effort from the West Indies today, they have added 104 for the last four wickets and shown plenty of fight. However, the damage was all done last night, when Tim Bresnan reduced them to 61/6. He ends up with four, as does Jimmy Anderson. Whatever way you slice it, this isn't a 165 all out wicket, and England should really knock off the 108 needed at a canter.

WICKET! Rampaul c Bresnan b Anderson 0 Oh, that's a shame. First ball of the over. Ravi Rampaul fences at a decent nut, dangling the bat out and Tim Bresnan pouches the ball at third slip. FOW 165/10

OVER 60: WI 165/9 (Samuels 76* Rampaul 0*) Good over for West Indies! Not much fun for Swanny. He's down the track to slog to cow... just evades Bairstow for a four. Not an elegant shot. But nothing wrong with the next one... down the track and six! Swann tosses the next one up, slow. Marlon defends. Now another huge six back over the bowler's head! Even bigger. Swann then sticks in another slow one. He has to defend. Cannot get a single off the last ball, but even still, 16 off the over. Go Marlon!

OVER 59: WI 149/9 (Samuels 60* Rampaul 0*) Samuels declines singles off Anderson until he has a go at one off ball five. Doesn't really connect and that's smeared to long leg. Ravi hangs on for his one delivery.

OVER 58: WI 148/9 (Samuels 59* Rampaul 0*) Ravi Rampaul has a Test average of 17, so that could be a lot worse. In fact, it's better than West Indies 9 and 10. Anyhow, the number 11 survives three balls and declines a single off the last ball.

WICKET! Shillingford c Anderson b Swann 0 Shame, Shane hung around for 22 balls, but he's prodded at one from Swann that drifts and bounces a bit, and Anderson with a smart catch at slip does the rest. Didn't spin; took the outside edge. FOW 148/9

OVER 57: WI 147/8 (Samuels 58* Shillingford 0*) Good heart and technique from big Shane as he keeps Jimmy Anderson out for that over. Last ball is a bit legside, brill stop by Matt Prior - who looks like he might have bongoed his thumb in the process. On the ball of the left thumb/hand I think. That's a maiden.

Andrew Holgate has more on his Comedy XI: "I've got a vision of Frankie Howerd at silly (the only place he could go). Can you imagine after every ball "Yes, no, what?, no, yes, stop it". Alan Davies would have to feature in there somewhere. He'd be a stop-gap bowler of medium pace and loved by all the older women. He'd also be the token Welshman in the side. Are there any South African comedians we could poach?" No. No there aren't.

OVER 56: WI 147/8 (Samuels 58* Shillingford 0*) Couple of runs down to third man for Marlon off Swann. Now he uses the feet and connects with a leg-side whip that smacks into Cook's chest at short leg. Well, I'm not going to call that a chance; either sticks or it doesn't. No single in this over, so Anderson can have a proper go at Shills.

OVER 55: WI 145/8 (Samuels 56* Shillingford 0*) Couple of slips in now for Anderson to Samuels, and then four (I think) back on the boundary. The message: single there if you want it. Some good sufff in the channel to start with, then Jim hunts the inswinging money shot, but Marlon tucks that away for a single. Shillingford again keeps out his two.

OVER 54: WI 144/8 (Samuels 55* Shillingford 0*) Swann over the wicket, slip and a short leg, as he bowls to Marlon Samuels. Swann looking for that slider past him, I fancy. PIcks up a couple with a dab past slip. Marlon uses his feet to ball four, doesn't really get all of it, but the ball plops into the offside for one. Shilly is gamely forward to his two balls and that's over.

13.40 Enough jibber-jabber then, let's see if the England side that ARE on the field can knock over these two remaining West Indian wickets in good time. The players are coming back out, not exactly racing out there I might add, and Graeme Swann is going to bowl first, from the Pavilion End.

One more email on the make-up of England's attack, from Andrew Barnes: "Surely there’s no argument about Bresnan and Finn. Bresnan has 8 wickets so far in the match, a bowling average of 26 in tests and a batting average of 35, that’s pretty handy for a bloke coming in at no. 8. Bres is happy to be the 3rd seamer and good at it, where as with Finn England would have 3 out and out opening bowlers. Be a handy quartet though if England ever decide Bresnan is good enough to bat 7."

Dean Jukes: "Not sure why it has to be either or, Prior is easily a test match number 6, Bresnan could potentially be a 7, Broad and Swann more than capable at 8 and 9 for that added bit of insurance. Finn would add the one thing this attack lacks: out and out pace." All excellent points, but I don't think that's the way England will go.

LUNCH Good effort from West Indies this morning, notably the unbeaten half-centurion Marlon Samuels. The game is surely England's, but he's set a great example to his team-mates of how to be professional and play with discipline no matter what the situation. Some tasty shots in there, too. England have been good, plugging away on what is still a great deck for batting. Probably only a matter of time after lunch, but if Marlon can somehow get WI to 150 ahead, you never know. I'm going to get a bite to eat. I see that Simon Hughes is on TMS in the lunchbreak. See you in a bit. WI 141/8 (Samuels 52* Shillingford 0*)

OVER 53: WI 141/8 (Samuels 52* Shillingford 0*) Samuels drives back down the ground and Anderson gets a hand on it. Shillingford wasn't in the wide-awake club and hadn't got his bat back. That would have been out had it hit. Anyhow, a single, and now five balls of excellence from Jimmy Anderson at the tailender. First the spearing inswinger; then the full outswinger. Gets a bit of bat on the first, prods and misses at the next. Now Shilly does well to keep out a good yorker. Super over, but he's hung on well enough, and that is lunch.

OVER 52: WI 140/8 (Samuels 51* Shillingford 0*) Samuels takes a single off Bresnan ball three, and Shillingford just about survives the last three.

OVER 51: WI 139/8 (Samuels 50* Shillingford 0*) Earlier in the over, Marlon Samuels had brought up a well-earned 50 with a single into the offside. Roach did very well to keep out an Anderson yorker, but he was all over the shop for the lbw.

WICKET! Roach lbw Anderson 14 Jimmy spears the ball into Kemar Roach, who gets a mile across his stumps and is hit on the back leg. Asad Rauf gives it not out - that's a poor decision... looked stone-dead out to me. And to Andrew Strauss, who reviews. And to everyone else. And, most importantly, to Hawk-Eye. Asad Rauf overturns his decision and that is out. FOW 139/8

OVER 50: WI 138/7 (Samuels 49* Roach 14*) Roach gets off strike second ball with a single, but Samuels clearly trusts him, taking one of his own. Andrew Strauss, so we learn from the stump mike, has a word for Marlon: "If you want to go into commentary, you'll have to retire first." Aleem Dar has a quiet word with one or two England players.

Jon writes: "Two more for the team. Michael McIntyre for wicket keeper. Short and with plenty of chat to put the oppo of their strike. Jim Carey as our epic spin bowler. If he can bend his arm half as much as he can his face the it would make Murali's deliveries look positively orthodox."

OVER 49: WI 136/7 (Samuels 48* Roach 13*) Anderson still has just one slip as he bowls to Marlon Samuels, and just because I have to sit through Sir Ian Botham's views on it, that doesn't mean they should be inflicted on you as well. Excellent over from Anderson, has Samuels nibbling a couple of times. For the last two balls of the over, Strauss brings in another catcher. Maybe he just wants to stop Botham going on about it. Maiden. Let's see if Bresnan can get a good set in at Kemar Roach. The England slips chirp at Samuels. "Shut up," he says. "I am going to get back-to-back hundreds!"

OVER 48: WI 136/7 (Samuels 48* Roach 13*) Just one off that Bresnan over.

OVER 47: WI 135/7 (Samuels 47* Roach 13*) Jimmy Anderson replaces Broad. Thick edge from Samuels for four past point. Anderson's got just the one slip in, Andrew Strauss. And both men are soon left regretting that conservative approach when Samuels edges high and handsome exactly where second slip would (should?) be. Samuels piles on the pain by puliing a strike-pinching single off ball six.

OVER 46: WI 126/7 (Samuels 38* Roach 13*) One off that over to Marlon, who pinches the strike off the last ball of the Bresnan over. Time for a bit of Swanny?

Andrew Holgate writes: "To help the morning slide by into a warm afternoon, I've been trying to think of a Comedy England XI. So far I have the following: John Cleese - Aggressive and domineering seam bowler. Comical walk/run up and an acid turn of tongue in the sledging stakes. Julian Clary - Spin bowler, quite likes a slider and a googly, always goes for the middle wicket. Eddie Izzard - Middle order batsman. Often puts together a rambling innings and is quite good at the switch."

OVER 45: WI 125/7 (Samuels 37* Roach 13*) Nothing wrong with that shot from Kemar! Leans on a full ball and it hurtles away for four through mid off. Broad responds with a short ball that Roach flicks over where leg slip would have been. Prior dived across and that was only a couple of feet from being a strangle. And then a third four in the over! Another short ball, Roach gets inside the line and pulls that away for a boundary. Well played son.

OVER 44: WI 113/7 (Samuels 37* Roach 1*) England, who have two reviews left, figure they might as well use one of them when Bresnan hits Samuels on the pads as the West Indies man tries, and misses, with a pull. Nah, that was going over. Never looked all that likely to me. Given not out and England burn a review. Samuels living more dangerously the last three or four overs. His foot movement is not quite right. Well, he isn't moving his feet. Maiden.

OVER 43: WI 113/7 (Samuels 37* Roach 1*) Broad. Samuels caught on the crease, swings with no foot movement and the ball crashes into his pads... via the inside edge. Strangled appeal. Couple of singles and a leg bye in the over. Roach off the mark with a stylish tuck behind square on the leg-side.

OVER 42: WI 110/7 (Samuels 36* Roach 0*) Just seeds and stalks left in the West Indies bag now as Kemar Roach comes to the crease. Beaten all ends up by the first ball. Blocks the next and you'd imagine it's a matter of time now. Test average of 9 for Kemar. Wicket maiden for Breslad, and he has eight wickets in the match for the first time in an England jersey. He can haz ten-fer?

WICKET! Sammy lbw Bresnan 25 Bresnan hits Sammy high on the back pad, playing back. Given out lbw. Review. High? Shame for Sammy, that is just clipping the bails. Umpire's call. Hard lines, but he has gone fourth ball after drinks. Ball angled back in, good delivery, and Sammy's stubborn resistance comes to an end. FOW 110/7

Geoffrey Lippitt: "I like Bresnan, he is worth his weight in the side and is a cricketer like Statham or Old who backs up the main strike bowlers with no complaint. Just like a footballer like Ronaldo or Rooney needs a Scholes they need a Bresnan. Finn is definitely a star for the future and always worth consideration."

DRINKS Good first hour for the West Indies. One or two play-and-misses, and an edge that landed short of gully, but overall pretty chance-free. England are attacking with the ball, nice and full, so there has been the odd bad ball which this pair have cashed in on more or less every time. They have put on 49 runs this morning; this partnership is also 49, and they're fighting hard. England have been good without being truly inspired. WI 110/6 (Samuels 36* Sammy 25*)

OVER 41: WI 110/6 (Samuels 36* Sammy 25*) Good over from Broad, albeit not at his quickest. He's looking for that outswinger, and although Samuels is being pretty watchful, he is beaten by one lovely ball. Maiden, and that's drinks.

OVER 40: WI 110/6 (Samuels 36* Sammy 25*) TIm Bresnan returns for another spell as Anderson takes a breather. First ball is a surprise bouncer, a good one, and it finds the shoulder of Sammy's bat. Lands safely short of gully. Now Bres gets too wide and Sammy cuts him away hard for four. Shot. Single. Now Samuels gets three with a delightful drive through extra. I really like Marlon. Excellent player to watch. Sammy beaten outside off with the last ball of the over. Eight from that, and the West Indies lead is 52.

Dennis Lanner: "Message from Elaine Simpson-Long's dentist. 'next time i will cancel the appointment at the last minute so i can watch the cricket'."

OVER 39: WI 102/6 (Samuels 33* Sammy 20*) Broad nips the ball back and hits Sammy on the pads. That's what England are looking for, and that's what Sammy was working on in the nets before play. On this occasion, he's hit too high up. He singles, and then a textbook off drive from Samuels gives him four when Broad overpitches. That brings up the West Indies hundred, and it's been a good morning for them so far.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Derek Pringle - saker's advice saw field change (2nd slip to 2nd gully and man on hook up to save one) but no wickets, yet. Bring on Swann, change of tempo&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 38: WI 97/6 (Samuels 29* Sammy 19*) A quick single to each man in that over, and Samuels might have been run out at the keeper's end had Jonny Bairstow hit from point. Too full from Jim now, and Samuels opens that face to drive that away nicely. He is rewarded with a spiteful bouncer next ball.

OVER 37: WI 91/6 (Samuels 24* Sammy 18*) That advice might have been for Broad to try Sammy with the bumper. It's a good one, and the West Indies skip gets to smell the leather as it flies past. Next ball keeps a bit low; he has to jab the bat down.

OVER 36: WI 90/6 (Samuels 23* Sammy 18*) First genuine edge, albeit that it didn't carry. Sammy gets himself squared up and the ball rattles away through where third slip would have been.

&lt;noframe&gt;Twitter: Nick Hoult - a little early for press box fears over checking out early to grow but you never know&lt;/noframe&gt;

OVER 35: WI 85/6 (Samuels 22* Sammy 14*) Broad replaces Tim Bresnan, and he'll bowl to Sammy. Gentle pace to start with, leg-side loosener. He's getting some shape into the Windies captain. Ball four keeps low, not an out-and-out grubber, but he has to jab the bat down sharpish. Now Broad gets a ball to lift, and Sammy rides it well to edge down past gully. Two for that. Bouncer ends the over, ducked without too much alarm.

Elaine Simpson-Long writes: "Morning Alan from sunny Colchester - had a dentist appointment this morning but have rescheduled as I simply have to see what happens in the Test today. So lovely to watch a good match bathed in sunshine and a crowd having a good time. Following on from the comments yesterday about commentators after my thoughts on Gower and Beefy (Yawn....) I have to say that much though I appreciate John Arlott, Brian Johnson was the man who made me love cricket. Who can forget him and Aggers corpsing completely on TMS? Wonderful stuff."

OVER 34: WI 83/6 (Samuels 22* Sammy 12*) Very full from Jimmy, arcing in, and right onto the middle of Samuels' bat. Clipped for four through the legside and that, appalling match situation aside, has been a very good half an hour for West Indies. They've played sensibly, hit the bad ball, and haven't really been in too much trouble. England will make their first bowling change.

OVER 33: WI 79/6 (Samuels 18* Sammy 12*) Nice shot Darren Sammy! Too full from Bres, he's searching for (and, to be fair, getting) the reverse-swing into the batsman, but that's overpitched and creamed away for four.

Andrew Holgate writes: "Alan, you have to be careful talking about investments. It's a regulated term under the FSA rulings. However, given their limp wristed response to regulating the banks and the problems it created with the collapse of the system, I think you will get away with it. As for Sir IB, doesn't Lady Botham make him a packed lunch for the day? He should join TMS on R4 long wave. They get cakes sent in."

OVER 32: WI 73/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 7*) Decent push down thr ground gives Sammy two. Anderson really likes Sammy for the lbw, I fancy. Darren gets a long way across, squred up, and gets a hint of leading edge on an inswinger. Lands safe in the offside. Next ball, Anderson produces a big in-ducker, hits him on the pads, but it's doing too much.

OVER 31: WI 70/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 4*) Bresnan. That's a nice square drive from Sammy, and in fact it's so pretty that he stands to watch it rather than run right away. Gets only two, thanks to the whippet Bairstow, when he might have had three.

OVER 30: WI 67/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 1*) There's that one I was talking about from Jim, just doing enough away to beat Samuels poke. Mon dieu! That was close.

OVER 29: WI 67/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 1*) Shane Warne and Mike Atherton are talking about David Saker. Warne says that his former Victoria team-mate was an Anderson-type bowler; and that he reckons Anderson's favouring of the inswinger as his primary weapon is a result of Saker's influence. It's funny, you think of your classic opening bowler, with the inswinger as the variant. But with Jimmy, it's the outie that's the shocker. Anyhow, should have put all that in the previous over, because this one is being bowled by Tim Bresnan, who hits Samuels with a nip-backer - hit him above the knee roll though... Just a legbye off that over.

OVER 28: WI 66/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 1*) Accurate start from Anderson - as per usual - trying to tempt Sammy in the corridor. One ball just nibbles away to beat the edge. Maiden.

OVER 27: WI 66/6 (Samuels 17* Sammy 1*) Sammy's off the mark with a single, and then Samuels is hit on the pads coming across. No appeal, too high. And now Bresnan overpitches and Samuels dispatches the leg-side half-volley with lovely timing and economy of effort.

10.59 Batsmen are ready, Bresnan's ready. Play. Mike Atherton, who knows a thing or two about batting in hopeless causes, says that this morning is about doing a professional job and backing up your first innings runs with a good performance.

10.55 The players are coming out. Sir Iron Bottom is speculating as to where he will go for lunch. Tim Bresnan has the ball in his hand. Coming down the stairs now are Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels. Massive ask for them, but you cannot fault the heart of this Windies team in this match, I feel. They have given it a red-hot crack, but England have just proved too strong.

10.50 A feller called Ian Greenspan has written to us; he is organising a petition to get the ICC to implement a sub-committee of fans to have their voice heard in the game's corridors of power. You can learn more about ithere.

10.45 There's Darren Sammy working in the nets. He's practising getting forward to counter that lbw threat. Marlon Samuels, meanwhile, just had a quick whack on the outfield before a chat with Nasser Hussain. Marlon is a very cool guy.

10.40 It's another lovely day there at Trent Bridge. Not a massive crowd in as yet, and I understand there are tickets available. Not sure how much it costs in. Hmm. They want 25 quid or 30 quid for them. I guess it might go on after lunch or beyond, if Marlon and Darren can put together another partnership.

The problem is, though that Bresnan is easily underestimated. He has the build of a rugby player, and could be likened to a good blindside wing forward. He does the dirty work, much of it unnoticed. He is not the headline-grabber. But he grabs ­colleagues’ affection. They know his worth.

10.30 Morning all. Tyers here. Indications are we won't be here for a long time, but we should be here for a good time. West Indies were excellent for much of yesterday, but all that good work was undone in a horror session before the close, when Tim Bresnan took three wickets with some lethal reverse swing. Trailing on first innings, West Indies are effectively 3/6. Reasons for optimism? Their hero pair from the first innings - Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy - are at the crease. Get one of those early, and this could be over by drinks.

Read Derek Pringle onyesterday's action. He's full of praise for another trencherman England seamer, Young Mr Bresnan, in his report.

Poor starts have been the norm for the West Indies this series, only for someone to provide some respectability. Bresnan, off colour in the first Test and in the first innings here despite his four wickets, has been complicit in that but not yesterday. Whether buoyed by the useful 39 he had made with the bat, he bounded in, hitting the pitch with enough force to extract the increasingly variable bounce (off the widening cracks) as well getting the ball to reverse swing.